Soda Fountain Favorites is a five-design USPS Forever stamp booklet issued June 30, 2016. Its illustrated menu includes a double-scoop ice cream cone, egg cream, banana split, root beer float and hot fudge sundae.
Soda Fountain Favorites facts
| Issue date and city | June 30, 2016; Nashville, Tennessee |
|---|---|
| USPS item | 680800 |
| Original price | 47 cents per Forever stamp |
| Format | Convertible booklet of 20; five designs |
| Quantity per design | Four of each treat |
| Designer and art director | Ethel Kessler |
| Illustrator | Nancy Stahl |
| Print quantity | 50 million stamps |
The five designs
- Double-scoop cone: two ice cream scoops stacked in a waffle cone.
- Egg cream: the classic milk, syrup and seltzer drink—despite the name, traditionally made without eggs or cream.
- Banana split: bananas, multiple scoops and sundae toppings in a long dish.
- Root beer float: ice cream foaming above a mug of root beer.
- Hot fudge sundae: ice cream, hot fudge, whipped topping and a cherry.
Why the booklet looks like a soda fountain
Nancy Stahl’s polished illustrations give each treat its own visual silhouette. Silver-toned geometric patterns in the selvage and cover reference the chrome surfaces of a classic American soda fountain. The booklet mixes horizontal and vertical stamp orientations to fit the different desserts.
Can the stamps still be mailed?
Yes. A genuine unused Soda Fountain Favorites stamp remains a domestic Forever stamp and pays the current First-Class Mail one-ounce letter rate. The original 47-cent price does not limit its current postage value. Add postage for mail outside the standard one-ounce letter conditions.
How to identify a complete booklet
- Twenty self-adhesive stamps, four of each design.
- USPS item number 680800.
- “FOREVER USA” runs along the edge of each illustrated treat.
- The cover says Soda Fountain Favorites and uses a chrome-inspired pattern.
Official sources
The USPS stamp announcement documents the five designs, booklet format, print quantity and production specifications. The USPS dedication release confirms that each booklet contains four of every design and explains the chrome-inspired presentation.
Issue facts checked September 2, 2026.